Important French Phrases for Traveling

I find it’s both helpful and polite to try to speak the language of the places I’m visiting. It’s respectful to show the local people that you’re trying to assimilate into their culture, and even if you slip up, they are more likely to help you when you’re trying! And since I’m in the south of France this summer, I want to share with you some important French phrases for traveling. I studied French in school for 7 or 8 years (it was a long time) so I love that I get to use my French skills here. I think it’s such a beautiful and romantic language! So here are the 20 most important French phrases for traveling, and don’t forget to watch my corresponding YouTube video to learn the pronunciation of each phrase.

20 Most Important French Phrases for Traveling

Bonjour. Bonsoir. [Good day. Good evening.]

Ça va? Ça va bien, et toi? [Hows it going? It’s going well, and you?]

Où est la salle de bain? [Where is the bathroom?]

Combien ça coûte? [How much does it cost?]

S’il vous plaît. S’il te plaît. [Please (formal + informal).]

Je voudrais quelque chose à manger. [I would like something to eat.]

Merci. Merci beaucoup. [Thank you. Thank you very much.]

J’ai faim. J’ai soif. [I’m hungry. I’m thirsty.]

Je veux aller à mon hôtel. [I want to go to my hotel.]

Quand est-ce que le spectacle commence? [When does the show start?]

D’accord. [Okay.]

Je ne comprends pas. [I don’t understand.]

Pouvez-vous aider moi? [Can you help me?]

Je suis des Etats-Unis. [I’m from the U.S.]

J’aime beaucoup la France. [I really like France.]

Excusez-moi. Desolée. [Excuse me. Sorry.]

J’ai besoin de la glace. [I need ice cream.]

Deux croissants, à emporter. [Two croissants, to go.]

Un verre du vin rosé. [A glass of rosé wine.]

Au revoir. Salut. [Goodbye (formal + informal).]

With these 20 phrases in hand, you’ll be good to go in France (or any other Francophone country!). Just practice saying these a few times, and maybe write them down so you can have a cheat sheet with you. If there are other phrases you want to know, just leave them in the comments below and I’ll let you know the best way to say them. Merci beaucoup!

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